Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Question: If the office does a venipuncture and a Pap but sends out the specimens to two different labs, can we charge the handling fee (99000) twice?

Oregon Subscriber

Answer: No, not even once.-Handling code 99000 (Handling and/or conveyance of specimen for transfer from the physician's office to a laboratory) is for additional office expense in getting the specimen to the lab. This means special processing using office equipment (for instance, if you had to centrifuge the blood sample before sending it off to the lab)-or a FedEx cost to get it there.

Labeling a specimen and putting it in a box outside for the lab for pickup is not a 99000 service.